Knit undergarment.



B THAYER.

KNIT UNDERGARMENT.

APPLICATION FILED Hmm, 1914.

Patented Mar. 2, w15.

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'l "Specification of ILettera Patent. Patented Mar., 2, 1915a-fpplieaton-led February 12,1914. fSeriaINo. 818,230.

1.To all "whom vit-may concem: v

vBe it known that-l, Buur yW'. THAYea,-a 'fcitizen of the United States,resident of Y'li/finneapolis, in the'county of Hennepin and vlStatev ofMinnesota, -have invented certain .new :and useful l'Improvements inKnit lUnf.dergarments, of which the following is a fspec'ification.

`This invention relates "particularly to improvements in knitundergarments, which "may 4be in thespecific form of knit waists,'mitwaist-uniomsuits and knit waist-shirts.

The 'object of the invention'is to provide wa neat :and serviceablegarment reinforced 'against all strains that may be put upon it,

.the body of the garment being elasticy and :preferably 'of asuitableknit fabric.

The vinvention consists generally in various;constructions andcombinations herein- -after described and particularly pointed out inthe claims.

In the accompanying drawingsforming part of this specification, Figure lisa front View of an undergarment embodying my invention, Fig. 2 is arear View of the same garment, Fig. 3 is a front view of 'the garmentshown in vFigjl with some additions thereto, Fig. 4 is a rear view ofthe garment shown in Fig.'3.

ln all of the' drawings 2 represents the body of the garment which ispreferably formed of a suitable elastic knit fabric and is provided witha neck opening 4 and two arm openings 5, and may be made either with orwithout sleeves.

.The bcdy of the garment is braced and strengthened by reinforcingstrips or straps 6 upon each side of the garment. The strips 6 arepreferably formed of an inelastic material, 0r material that is lesselastic than the body of the garinent. They are preferably secured tothe side of the body of the garment directly below the center of the armopenings 5, 5, and extend upwardly and inwardly and pass over the topsof the shoulder straps, then downwardly over the back of the garment,being crossed at a. point 9, preferably a little above the center andthe ends extend downwardly to the sides of the garment, substantially atthe center thereof, and each end is fastened thereto preferably adjacentto the lower end of the other strip. Each strip, therefore, passes fromthe central part of the garment, below the arm opening, upwardly andinfwardtyfover the shoulder strap, then downwardly across thegba'ck tothe-side ofthe -garment and then, extends to the bottom thereof,vsubstantially parallel with the end :of the otherstrip. The strips 6are pro- 'vided with'suitable-'buttons or garment fasteners 7 by meansof which the lower gary'ments'of the wearer maybe fastened there- `ito.`In Figs. 1 and 2 ofthe drawings I- have shown both ends of the strips 6extending zdownward tothe bottom of the'garment at the middle of theside portion thereof. In Figs. 3 and '4 I have shown only one end ofvthe strip 6 extending to the bottom of the garment, 'the other end ofthis strip being joined thereto at the point 15. I also prefer to:provide the garment with anaddi` a tional'strip 'or strap l0 extendingfrom the point -9 where the straps 6 cross, to the bottom'of 'thegarment as shown in Figs. 2 and 4. .This strip will lie-provided withsuitable buttons or garment fasteners 7. I may also `provide the garmentwith additional strips or straps 12 which pass vertically, orsubstantially verticallyover the shoulder straps Y"of the-garment and tothe bottom thereof, :front and rear, as shown in Figs. 3 and-4. Thesestraps will be provided with suitable buttonsorgarm'ent fasteners i7. Imay also -provide the garment with additional strips or straps 13extending from the lower part of the shoulder portion of the garment infront downwardly and rearwardly across the back to the point 15 wherethe straps 6 cross at the' side of the garment. These strips will crosseach other and will also cross the strip 10 in the back at substantiallythe point marked 16 in Fig. 3. The advantages of this construction arethat the inelastic strips not only serve as carriers for the lowergarments that are secured to the buttons or fasteners 7 but, beingcrossed in the manner illustrated and extending to the center sideportions of the garment, they act as shoulder braces, and serve tostraighten up and hold back the shoulders of thev wearer. This isparticularly true of the arrangement shown in Figs. 3 and 4 of thedrawings. By crossing the strips in the back I also secure theadvantageof having the weight of the garment on the strips tend to hold thestrips on to the shoulders of the wearer, thus preventing them fromslipping off from the shoulders.

The details of the construction may be varied in many particularswithout depart; ing from my invention.

I claim as my invention:

l. An undergarment comprising a body portion formed of an elastic knitfabric having neck and arm openings and shoulder straps between them,and inelastic tapes secured to the front and back of the garmentsubstantially throughout their length and to said shoulder straps, therear portions of said tapes being crossed and extending from said strapsdiagonally across the back of the garment to the sides thereof, thefront ends of said tapes being also extended to said side portions ofthe garment and secured thereto and forming a junction with the crossedrear portions at the sides beneath the arm openings and having means forattaching lower garments thereto, downward pull on said tapes operatingto draw said shoulder straps inwardly and bracing the shoulders of thewearer of `the garment.

2. An undergarment comprisinr a body portion formed of an elastic knitfabric, having neck and arm openings and shoulder straps between them,and inelastic tapes secured to the front and back of the garment and tosaid shoulder straps, the rear portions of said tapes being crossed andeX- tending from said straps diagonally across the back of the garmentto the sides thereof and secured thereto the front ends of said tapesbeing also extended to said side portions of the garment and securedthereto and forming a junction with the crossed rear portions at thesides beneath the arm openings and having means for attaching lowergarments thereto, downward pull on said straps operating to draw saidshoulder straps inwardly and bracing the shoulders of the wearer of thegarment, and additional inelastic strips extending from the shoulderstraps in substantially vertical directions on the front and rear to thelower part of the garment, substantially as described.

3. An undergarment comprising a body portion formed of an elastic knitfabric,

having neck and arm openings and shoulder m tions of the garment andsecured thereto and forming a junction with the crossed rear portionsat'the sides beneath vthe arm openings and having means for attachinglower garments thereto, downward pull on said straps operating to drawsaid shoulder straps inwardly and bracing the shoulders of the wearer ofthe garment, and an additional inelastic strip extending from thecrossing point of said tapes in a substantially vertical direction tothe lower part of the garment, substantiallyl as described.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this 7th day of February1914.

BURT W. THAYER.

lVitnesses: Y

EDWARD A. PAUL, GENEVIEVE E. SonENsEN.

